The Skies the Limit Book One- Water: Bound Wings
by Littlespottedcat
Summary: The spirits decided to give me then worst gift possible causing me to lose everything I ever known or cared about. All I have left is my sister and a small metal box.
1. Prologue

When I was little I thought the war was justified. I thought firebending was the superior bending and that the Fire Nation was perfect. That the Fire Nation was strong, powerfully, and deserved to rule. I was wrong. That way of thinking changed when I found my bending. For what ever reason I could bend air, an element that suited my eight year-old self quite well. My parents were shocked to say the least but that shock quickly turned to fear and horror when the spirits decided to bless me with the worst gift possible. They moved to the colonies and hid me away in the basement of our new house. It was then that I realized how flawed the Fire Nation really was. They were afraid of what it didn't know. it was afraid of the other elements, of creativity, of imagination ... the list goes on and on. I learned to be grateful for what I had and treasure everything because in a second I lost it all, my childhood, the love of my parents, my innocence ... my freedom. The only thing I have left is my twin sister, my memories, my life, and the chains that bind me.

This is my story


	2. The Girl in Chains

Book One: Bound Wings

Chapter One: The Girl in Chains

* * *

"How are you?" Hotaru asked sitting on the bed next to me.

"Peachy," I reply then pull her down so we're lying face to face like we did when we were in the orphanage.

"Akane-"

"How was your day?" I hastily cut her off.

"Fine," she mumbles and blushes slightly. Hotaru doesn't blush unless she's done something really embarrassing or...

"What's his name?"

"What?" she squeaks.

"Come on sis give me some detail."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says evasively. I raise an eyebrow. "Fine," she sighs, "his name is Ryuu."

"What's he look like?" I ask propping myself up on my elbow.

"Well, he looks like any normal Fire Nation guy. Although, he does have the most beautiful green eyes."

"How d'ye meet?" I ask before she can get distracted in her reminiscence.

She laughs," believe it or not he tried to steal from me." I smile as she goes on but it quickly fades as I realize I'll never meet a guy like that or a guy at all.

"He sounds like a great guy."

"He is but," she frowns, "Mother and Father will never approve." That statement reminds that my twin is just as bound as I am even if her chains aren't visible. I hug her tightly hating whatever spirit did this to us. Hotaru mumbles a good-bye before leaving. I pull my knees to my chest in thought. Someday my sister will be free even if I have to deal with the consequences.

* * *

Hotaru sat outside on her balcony, looking out to sea. She feels trapped but knows whatever she is experiencing is ten times worse for her sister. A flash of blue appears on the horizon and she stands up slowly. The light faded after a minute and she shakes her head. The village is high up north as far as it can get and still remain in the Earth Kingdom, and the light was probably just apart of the aurora borealis. She headed back inside and went to the library to find a book for Akane. One title caught her attention. On the bottom shelf behind Father's desk, _The Skies the Limit._ She reached forward to pull it out but was surprised when it and the four books next to it all slid out as one unit. She sat cross legged on the ground and on closer inspection realized that the books were fake and in fact created a long wooden box. It took her awhile to find the lid but it popped off easily once she did. Inside the box was a worn journal and another metal box with an intricate lock. She checked the lock and shook her head in bewilderment. The lock was made out of two open ended pipes that spiraled inward till the met in the middle were a circular metal piece was. She gave up on the lock and curiously opened the journal to a random page.

_Today a man was brought into the hospital with several burns. He kept repeating that his children were in a camp by the woods and refused treatment until someone got them. A few minutes later a man came in with two twin girls. One of them was carrying a metal box. The other kept demanding to see her father but a nurse kept them out of the room as we worked on the man's wounds. Suddenly he grabbed my wrist and told me that they were to be kept together and were to keep the metal box that had once belonged to their mother. He died seconds later and the kids were put taken to the orphanage here in town._

Hotaru gasped and looked up from the journal. She took several deep breaths to calm herself. She faintly remembered that day at the hospital. Akane had been the one holding the box if she remembered correctly. She put the fake books back and took the journal and metal box to her room. She barely put them under her bed when her mother walked in.

"What are you doing on the floor?"

"Looking for something," she says brushing dirt off her pants.

Mother frowned, "you weren't at dinner."

"I wasn't hungry."

Mother sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Is this about the demon."

"No, it's about my sister," Hotaru growled.

"She's not your sister," her mother shouted

"Whatever."

She scowled and snapped, "it's a good thing your father is selling then." Hotaru looked up but she had already left. She grabbed her cloak out of the closet before climbing down the trellis under balcony and heading into the city.

* * *

She found him in the bar. Making sure her hood was up, she navigated her way to the counter and dropped onto the stool next to Ryuu.

"I need your help."

"Sorry doll but I think you got the wrong guy," he raises his drink to his lips but doesn't get to take a drink.

"Please," Hotaru begged tilting her head up so he could see her face. She released his wrist when he lowered the drink.

"Alright, shoot."

"I need you to break someone free."

"Who?"

"My sister."

"Sister?" he repeated.

"Will you help?" she asked seriously. He searched her amber eyes and found plenty of resolve.

"Sure thing doll," he answered and shook her hand.

* * *

I flip into a handstand. The metal chain attached to my ankle thumps into my spine. My shirt slips down and I shiver slightly. I take shaky breaths as I struggle to hold up my own weight. The door grinds open anpen and I hastily flip back to my feet. The chain clanks and rub harshly against my ankle. My father steps into the room closely followed by two other men. I watch them warily. Father roughly turns me and lifts up the back of my shirt.

"So it's true," one of the men say when I'm released. I step back away from them fearfully. The other steps around me in a quick circle eyeing me in a way one might check an ostrich horse. In that moment I realize what's going on.

"I'll take her," the man says and tossed Father a bag of coins. He checked the amount and nodded. There's a sharp sting in the side of my neck and I collapse as the drug floods my system.

* * *

When I come to I'm laying on my stomach in a cage. I push myself up and almost fall when the cage jerks. The cage I'm in is covered by a heavy dark fabric making it hard to decide if it's night or day. My ankles and wrists are bound to the floor with heavy chains. I rub my forehead trying to get rid of my headache. Stupid drugs make it feel like I have a hangover. I sit quietly trying to keep from throwing up. Suddenly the cage stops and I fall forward which does nothing to help with the queasiness. I huddle in the center aware of the sounds of fighting coming from around me. Something lands on top of the cage with a solid thump and I choke on a scream.

* * *

**Hotaru- firefly, lightning bug**

**Akane- deep red**

**Ryuu- dragon**

_**I'm having writer's block on my other stories so I decided to start this story. Please review.**_


	3. Rescue

Book One: Bound Wings

Chapter Two: Rescue

* * *

The sounds of fighting faded and the cloth covering the cage is pulled back. A boy about my age with black hair stands with a cocky smirk on his face. He's dressed in a green high collared tunic with a red sash around his waist and brown capris.

"Akane, right? My name's Ryuu." The guy my sister likes. He picks the lock on the cage and then steps in to do the same with the restraints. Two more boys step forward into my sight, one holding a torch and the other a bow. The one with the torch has super short black hair and is wearing a red tunic with a green scarf wrapped around his neck. The other is wearing traditional Fire Nation clothes with an Earth Kingdom straw hat. Ryuu helps me down before introducing me to the others.

"This is Yori, Shun aka Longshot, and Ichigo," he motions back to the cage.

"Hey," Ichigo said dropping down off the top of the cage. She has light brown hair that is longer in the front and shorter in the back and is wearing a green shirt and black shorts. She has a pair of silver shoulder pads and gauntlets on her forearms. She sheaths her swords. I start feeling edgy with all these strangers around me even though they just rescued me.

"Check the other cages," Ryuu ordered and the others comply leaving me alone with him. "Hotaru sent me," he says when there a few feet away. I relax slightly knowing this. He hands me a black cloak that I pull on hurriedly when the wind blows harder chilling me to the bone. Suddenly a loud screeching sounds from the cage that Yori was checking. Yori stumbles back shaking his hand and cussing. Ryuu frowns and walks over and I follow curiously. I gasp when I see the caged animal. A fire eagles stands his feathery plume standing up glowing a soft cherry red.

"I wouldn't," Yori warned when I reach out a hand. The bird tilts his head and nudges my palm with his beak before relaxing and resting his head in my hand. Its feathers turn black. The boys gasp and I glance back noticing the scratches on Yori's hand for the first time. I turn back to the bird and rub its beak with my thumb while Ryuu quickly steps forward to pick the lock. The fire eagle tilts its head at the open door when I step back, before taking off into the night sky. Together we work on freeing the rest of the animals, the boys picking the lock while I comfort the animals. The animals are quick to run off into the surrounding forest when they're released until we get to the last cage. A female red panda surprises me when instead of jumping out of its cage it wraps around my arm and its tail curls around my waist. I freeze in shock the thought passing through my mind that I way over my head.

"Cute," Ichigo says appearing behind me. I jump and the panda nuzzles my arm in comfort. I glare at her and become aware of the other two guys. Shun walks up to us a bag in his hand, barely giving the red panda a second look.

"Let's go," Ryuu says. Ichigo and Yori mumble a 'yes, sir' before we head into the woods. Something suddenly digs into my shoulder. I scream and trip backwards. The others turn around pulling out their weapons only to stare in confusion. Perched on my knee is the fire eagle that stares at me with fierce orange eyes. The bird flies off my knee when Ichigo helps me up only to settle on my shoulder.

* * *

Ryuu watches Akane closely as she sits next to the fire. It's clear she hasn't eaten well in some time. She's extremely skinny, has bags under eyes, and tenses when anyone gets close to her. Her greasy brown hair stops above her waist and her grey eyes are dull.

"She looks like a single breeze could blow her away," Ichigo comments handing him a bowl of stew. He mumbles an agreement before taking a sip out of his bowl.

* * *

Yori hands Akane a bowl before sitting across from her. She cups the warm bowl between her hands before taking a sip.

"It's good," she says smiling softly.

"Most people say the opposite," Yori said finishing off his own bowl in a few hasty gulps. The red panda jumps on the bowl when he sets it down.

"Aki," she chides gently. Aki looks up innocently before going back to licking the bowl.

"Don't worry about it," Yori said scratching the panda's head. "Did you name the bird to?"

"Yeah, Ren." The bird cracked open one eye before settling further into the fire. If Yori was perfectly honest the fire eagle freaked him out. Fire eagles were descendants of the now extinct phoenix. Like the phoenix they were immune to fire and could light themselves on fire at will but unlike their ancestor they only had one life and couldn't be reborn by fire. They're also much smaller than a phoenix who are said to be bigger than an ostrich horse.

* * *

I pull the blanket over my head when the sunlight filters through the trees above the camp. After living in the basement of my parents' house for seven years my eyes weren't used to strong natural light sources. Aki squeaks somewhere above me before jumping down onto my stomach. I groan and sit up, squinting to get used to the light. Yori was still asleep by the fire and I could spy Shun keeping watch in a nearby tree. Both Ichigo and Ryuu are nowhere to be seen. I sigh and bury my face in her fur before standing up. She wraps herself around my neck like a fluffy scarf after I flip the hood of the cloak up to protect my eyes some. I glance at Ren's sleeping form in the coals from last night's fire. His head is tucked under his wing and he's made a faint hollow in the ashes. I turn around and jump when I come face to face with a grinning Ichigo.

"Here," she hands me a bowl of rice, "as soon as you eat I'll take you somewhere you can take a bath." The idea of a bath is so appealing I practically inhale the food. Ichigo laughs when I hand her the empty bowl and I blush slightly. She leads me into the woods away from camp and I follow faint thoughts about her betraying me running through my mind. When I start falling behind she slows down to walk beside me.

"You don't talk much do you?" I shake my head and stare at my feet. "Longshot's the same way, although," she pauses for a second, "I noticed you didn't have any problems talking to Yori. I shrug not really wanting to explain how easy it is to trust the guy. Ichigo drops the conversation and we finish walking in silence. She brings me to a small cabin in the woods that look like it only has four rooms. Ichigo steps up to the door and pounds three times. The door opens and there's a blur of blue as something crashes into her.

"Ichigo," the girl shouted pulling back. It's easy to tell that she was Water Tribe by her mocha skin and her blue clothes. She wears a blue high collared tunic trimmed with white, blue capris, and boots that meet the edge of her pants.

"Hey Kaede, how's it going?"

"Same ol'," She says and then catches sight of me, "who's this?"

"This is Akane," Ichigo says and I tense slightly, "Akane this is Kaede, our healer and part time chef." Kaede holds out her hand and I hesitantly take it.

"A new recruit," she questions.

"Only if she wants to be," Ichigo responds," actually we're here so you can do a checkup. If she allows you to, that is." I glare at her.

"Sure," Kaede said, "come on in." We follow her into the cabin and I see I was right about the number of rooms. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen that doubles up as a sitting room. Kaede puts water on for tea while striking up a conversation with Ichigo. I stand awkwardly, feeling like an outsider.

* * *

I feel like a new person after taking a bath and wearing a pair of Kaede's new clothes, which are blue of course. Kaede bended water around her hands and places it over my ankle where the restraints had rubbed it raw. I wince at the prickling sensation. Ichigo is standing in a corner with an amused expression on her face. Kaede notices her and sighs.

"Ichigo, why don't you head back to camp? I'll bring her back when I'm done.

"You sure?" Ichigo asks taking a step forward.

"Yep," Kaede answered continuing to heal my ankle.

"Alright then see you guys later," she says leaving. Kaede relaxes slightly and finishes healing my ankle. She moves behind me and I instinctually move off the table and turn to face her.

"Don't touch my back," I hiss.

"Alright, calm down," she says holding her hands up in a sign of peace, "but if you have wounds I need to heal them so they don't get infected."

"My back's fine," I snap.

"Alright fine," she says with a soft sigh. I relax slightly and turn my head to the side.

"I'm sorry," I whisper realizing how mean I was.

* * *

**Yori- trust**

**Shun- fast**

**Ichigo- strawberry**

**Aki-bright**

**Ren- lotus**

**Kaede-maple**


End file.
